12:20pm

Eastern and Central Kentucky

Dorm Fire Investigated at EKU

Police are conducting an arson investigation at Eastern Kentucky University. Authorities say at about 4:13 am Thursday, hallway bulletin boards were set on fire on two floors of the 20-story Commonwealth Hall. The fires caused minor damage to the walls, but a sprinkler system was activated and the building was evacuated. The dorm houses 422 students. A major event on campus just two weeks ago stressed fire safety. Richmond Fire Department spokesman Corey Lewis thinks some people didn’t get the message.

“It says to me we still have uneducated people out there, we stil have people who are mischievous and do things sometimes that seem harmless and see like they may not affect the lives of a couple hundred students,” said Lewis.

No injuries are reported. Commonwealth Hall, which houses 422 students, was evacuated. The residence hall reopened to students at about noon.